BJP gives Karnataka third chief minister in four years

Bangalore, July 12 (IANS) The BJP government in Karnataka, marred by dissidence and corruption, Thursday scored another first with Jagadish Shettar becoming the party's third chief minister in four years and the state getting two deputy chief ministers.

The deputy chief ministers are K.S. Eshwarappa, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief, and R. Ashoka, who was home minister in the outgoing ministry headed by D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

Shettar and 30 members of his ministry, including the two deputy chief ministers, were administered the oath of office and secrecy at a simple ceremony by Governor H.R. Bhardwaj at the glass house in Raj Bhavan in the city centre.

Shettar succeeds Gowda, who became the chief minister August 4 last year after the BJP's first chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was forced out of office over mining bribery charges, quit Wednesday.

Gowda fell victim to the dissidence that had hit the party almost from the beginning of its maiden rule in the state in May 2008.

After Shettar, Eshwarappa and Ashoka took oath separately. Other ministers were sworn-in in batches of six.

All 21 members of the Gowda ministry have been retained.

The ministers who took oath Thursday are: Govind Karjola, C.M. Udasi, Basavaraj Bommai, Vishwanath Hegde Kageri, S. Suresh Kumar, Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, V. Somanna, Shobha Karandlaje, M.P. Renukacharya, C.P. Yogeshwar, B.N. Bachche Gowda, Revu Naik Belamagi, Balachandra Jarkiholi, Anand Asnotikar, S.A. Ramdas, A. Narayanswamy, S. Ravindra Nath, C.T. Ravi, D.N. Jeevraj, Raju Gowda, S.K. Bellubbi, S. Shivanna, Varthur Prakash, Arvind Limbavali, Anand Singh, B.J. Puttaswamy, Appachu Ranjan, Kalakappa Bandi, Sunil Malkapure and Kota Srinivas Pujari.